Correct Olive drab for USA armour?

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

Hi,

I’m building Tamiya’s M18 Hellcat and would like to get the paint job just right.
I have Tamiya’s acrylic Olive Drab, which looks pretty good, and MIG/Ammo Olive Drab base, which seems too brown to me.

So, which should I use? I’m happy to buy another as long as it’s acrylic.
thanks

Darren

2

Lotsa discussion on this,come to your own conclusion of what looks good to you,like Dunkelgelb,4BO,or Panzer Gray very subjective.

Here’s an article with some thoughts,check yourself for others,there are many on the net.

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235110522-current-thinking-on-tamiya-xf-62-olive-drab-for-us-m4-1944-45-eto/

3

Hi Darren!

I have always used a basic O.D. then Wash it with a wee bit of light tan. This is more wash than color. O.D. had a tendency to turn dusty looking in exposure to sunlight. I just recently turned to acrylics so I cannot speak to that. It should work though.

4

Air OD was different from armor OD, and each could vary by the war production plant, period of the war, and even day of the week. A new, shiny tank exiting the production line may look different after its rail trip to the port of embarkation and the voyage across the ocean. Heaven forbid you add field maintenance to the mix.

Find a paint which you prefer and go with that. As a modeling mentor of mine once said, 'When the pigment hits the plastic, its right".

5

Best of luck to you; this question is often asked, discussed and open to debate.

It’s like, “What color is the sky?” or “How long is a piece of string?”

I’m okay with grabbing any old can of OD green and using it. I spent a long time in the Army and the color green we used varied considerably, even among new items.

6

Here is an article by “Mr. Armor”, Steven Zaloga, on WW2 Armor and Munitions OD and the difference between AGF OD and USAAC/AF OD-41:

Zaloga - Olive Drab.pdf

7

Thanks for all the input evertone, I will check out the links.

8

And don’t forget to match the paint to the color temperature of the light the model will be viewed in and set you white-balance correctly if you take any pictures[;)]

9

That’s what I would go with. If it looks right to your eye, then forget what anyone else says.

10

Am I remembering rightly, that the Hellcat survived into the DOD era (post '47)?

WHih introduces yet another “OD” into the mix.